COVID-19: What are the Key Things to Remember?

WHAT’S IN?

During this pandemic, staying informed on the latest developments about COVID-19 is essential. This would help us protect and prepare ourselves at all times.

Today, March 27, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 509,164 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in over 2020 countries, areas or territories, and 23,335 confirmed deaths. From the total number of confirmed cases, 85,707 of these are from the United States of America and thus surpassing the previously known virus hotspots, China and Italy.

How do humans catch COVID-19?

The virus can spread from one person to another. Therefore, a person can catch the virus from another infected person, even if they’re not showing symptoms of COVID-19 disease. It can be transmitted when a person is exposed to a droplet of sputum or air mist from a person with the virus. More so, a person can also catch the virus when they touch objects or surfaces where viral particles have collected. So then, when they touch their eyes, nose, or mouth, they introduce the particles into their bodies and become infected. Lastly, one can also be infected with the virus if they breathe in the droplet or shared airspace from a person with COVID-19 who is less than 6 feet or 2 meters away.

How likely am I to get infected with COVID-19?

• First, the risk depends on your current location. Most likely, the higher the number of affected persons in your area, the higher is your risk of getting the virus. Data and research on specific risks of this novel virus are still evolving and will become clearer over time.
• If you are at a younger age with no pre-existing medical conditions, you are considered less likely to develop severe disease. But this does not mean you cannot be infected by the virus and it certainly does not mean that you cannot spread the virus. As a matter of fact, young asymptomatic infected persons seem to be the largest group of people who are spreading the virus.
• The people most severely affected by the COVID-19 disease are those aged 60 and older and those with pre-existing illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung diseases, cancer, chronic smokers, those with history of organ transplants, chemotherapy, and diabetes. However, interestingly enough, there are increasing reports of young, previously healthy patients coming down with severe COVID-19.
• If you are practicing social distancing and are equipped with proper gears and follow proper preventive measures, you have lesser chances to get infected.

In the video below, Dr. Cindy Duke shares “What are the Key Things to Remember to Help Prevent the Spread of the SARS-COV-2 Virus?”

Find out what she has to say!

How is COVID-19 being spread? How like you are to get infected with COVID-19? In this video, Dr. Cindy Duke answers all these questions for us with some tips to avoid getting infections. Find out what she has to say!